Friday, 25 May 2012

Jan Bowman

'Tyseley'

I’m spending quite a bit of time popping down to Digbeth in my lunch hour these days for the odd tube of paint from Harris and Moore Canvasses the new art supplies shop that has opened at the Minerva Works on Fazeley Street (they sell the Michael Harding oils I like to use but normally have to mail order). I always pass Eastside Projects on Heath Mill Lane and wonder why is it never open when I go past, and then grab a sandwich at The Bond cafe also on Fazeley Street.

Miroslav Sasek 'This is New York'

Whilst in the cafe the other day waiting for my sandwich to be prepared at the end of a very long queue, it gave me an opportunity to enjoy a terrific exhibition of digital prints on the walls there by Birmingham based illustrator, Jan Bowman. Depicting scenes of Birmingham, and made from drawings scanned and then digitally painted (I think!), I really enjoyed their effortless charm and energy. but wonderful precise observations and details. They reminded me alot of illustrators like John Burningham, and most notably Miroslav Sasek and his famous ‘This Is...’ children’s book series of different cities around the world, which I love (image above) Here are a few of Jan’s images and a link to her website where she keeps a really lively blog: